11.02.2020 | Author: Amir Bashir

Arsenal eye transfer for £31.5m rated Premier League star

The Gunners are keen to bring-in a new center half in the summer

Arsenal eye transfer for £31.5m rated Premier League star — Nathan Ake has been one of the best players for Bournemouth this season

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly drawing a long wish-list of players that he wants the club to sign in the summer transfer window.

Arsenal will try to secure the signing of £31.5m rated Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake in the summer transfer window, reports Daily Mail.

The former Chelsea defender who came through the Blues’ youth ranks has been a consistent performer for the Cherries since his £20m move to the South Coast in 2017.

Despite Eddie Howe’s men struggling to maintain their Premier League status this season – they currently find themselves 2-points off relegation – Ake has been a towering presence in the side this term.

The Dutchman’s brilliant performances for the club haven’t gone unnoticed as new Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has made him a priority signing ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.

Arteta wants Ake at Arsenal

January 18, 2020, Norwich, United Kingdom: Nathan Ake of AFC Bournemouth is seen during the Premier League match between Norwich City and AFC Bournemouth at Carrow Road. Norwich City v AFC Bournemouth in Norwich, UK - 18 Jan 2020 PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY - ZUMAs197 20200118zabs197052 Copyright: xRichardxCalverx

Provided the Gunners can convince the Dutchman to ignore other clubs who are also after his signature and commit their future to them, they’d be getting a ready-made Premier League defender.

Apart from his brilliant positional sense and the ability to play the ball from the back, the 23-year-old is also a threat on attacking set-pieces.

The Hague-born center-half has previously played alongside Arsenal defender David Luiz back when the duo were both playing for the Gunners’ bitter rivals Chelsea.

Ake has spoken about his friendship with the Brazilian on numerous occasions in the past, and the Gunners may hope that the PSG defender could convince his former teammate to agree to play alongside him in the heart of their defense.

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Why the Gunners want a new center half?

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Following the departure of Laurent Koscielny before the start of this season, the Gunners have struggled to keep their defense watertight this term.

Former boss Unai Emery tried to plug the hole in his back four by bringing in David Luiz from Chelsea but the former PSG defender has been too inconsistent at times.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos, who regularly partners the Brazilian in the center of the Gunners’ defense, has also looked unable to bring stability to the club’s back four.

The long-term injury suffered by Calum Chambers at the start of the season and poor form displayed by Shkodran Mustafi have further exposed Bernd Leno to the volley of opposition attacks.

The questionable quality of their center halves has seen the Gunners, who currently sit at 10^th place in the table, concede the joint 2^nd most number of goals of any side in the top half of the table.